Hi there,

Thank you so much for supporting this petition!

It is day 22 since the Mersey Community Hospital Emergency department was forced to reduce operating hours by the withdrawal of interstate locum staff affected by the Covid-19 situation across the country.

The same day our Health Minister announced these reductions she also explained that MCH would be kept Covid-19 free as: "the Mersey was not set up to allow for the separation of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients, as was being done to manage the pandemic in the state's other hospitals" (1/4/2020, The Advocate).

Things changed however when Burnie's hospitals exploded in an outbreak, dealing a death blow to Merseys Emergency department in the process, after the government transferred resources to Burnie.

As it turns out the Mersey continues to defy the health ministers claim regarding its incapability around handling Covid-19 patients with no sign of outbreak since the Mersey supported Burnie by accepting its Covid-19 patient load 9 days ago. YAY MERSEY!!

Despite endless recent media coverage around Burnie's hospitals there has been almost no mention of the future resinstatement of Mersey's emergency department. Why?

Why is our emergency department capability so dependant upon expensive fly in fly out doctors and other locum staff? Is there really noone willing to work here on a permanent basis? Or does our government has an aversion to properly staffing the Mersey?

With AUSMAT soon handing back to Burnie staff why arent they next supporting Mersey Emergency Department to reopen like its sister hospital in Burnie?

Stay safe and please SHARE THIS PETITION AS FAR AND WIDE AS YOU CAN, we need to keep the conversation around MCH going strong!

Tasmanian Citizen

LETS KEEP MERSEY ALIVE!!